Hide and Seek
by Dreams about another world
Summary: Little!Germany and Prussia play Hide-and-seek. Old fears are found and new comforts are sought.


So this is yet another deanon prompt fill from the kink meme (I'm using that place to cure my writer's block), "Little!Germany and Prussia - Playing hide and seek" (And if you're wondering, yes, I am still working on "Lessen the hurt" . I have finals soon though so don't expect too much ^^'')

This was supposed to be all cute and fluffy but ended up way angstier than I intended. Anyway's enjoy! ^^''

Warnings: Some ooc-ness, fluff

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><p>The servants who scurried past him in the corridor threw him sympathetic looks where he stood against the wall opposite large doors. Ludwig was waiting, fidgeting on the same spot and had been for a while now. His brother was stuck in yet another meeting.<p>

Gilbert seemed to never have time for him anymore. Ludwig knew that there was a war, but why did you have to have meetings for that? Couldn't you just go out there, beat the bad guys and the go home? Sure, the servants offered to play with him sometimes but it wasn't the same thing. No, Ludwig did not understand, but he did his best to keep out of the way… most of the time.

Right now however he didn't want to be invisible, he wanted attention. That was why he lingered in the drafty corridor. Waiting.

Hours later he was cold and stiff but finally the huge doors opened. Old men in stiff uniforms dropped out of the meeting room most of them only glancing at him at the best. Well, he wasn't a real nation. Yet. His brother was one of the last to come out, his face bearing that hard determinate look and Ludwig immediately latched on to him.

"Brother!"

Gilberts face softened in to a tired smile and a large hand ruffled gold hair.

"Hello, West, have you been waiting all this time?"

Face buried in Gilberts leg, since that was about how far he reached, the younger blonde nodded.

"Well, sorry for taking so long, but now we finally have a plan on how to kick that bastard's ass!"

Gilberts chuckled darkly, causing Ludwig to press himself tighter against his older brother. If the dusty old men had a plan it meant that Gilbert would go away again. His brother would leave for weeks, only to come home reeking of blood and death with a grim smile on his lips and red eyes glowing in a way that made the people who called him a monster justified. And then he would be stuck in even more meetings.

"It's bedtime, don't you think West?"

Ludwig was broken from his rather dark thoughts and found himself scooped up into a pair of arms. Suddenly he was face to face with his brother and was carried through the rather dim corridor.

"No, I want to play"

This made Gilbert stop in his track.

"But it's already dark outside"

"Please? You never play with me anymore"

Stubborn blue met tired red and Gilbert cursed inwardly at his own weakness. Why did the kid have so big eyes? Freakishly cute. The added guilt didn't help either. He knew that it was months ago that they had actually had a conversation longer that "good morning", good night" and "time for bed". Stupid war, it ruined everything. Gilbert sighed but resented.

"Fine. What do you want to play?"

The smile Ludwig gave him made it all worth it.

"Hide and seek?"

Gilbert silently thanked god that it wasn't anything more complicated than hide and seek and put the kid down again.

"I will count and you will hide"

Ludwig told him in a very serious way and turned around starting to count loudly. Gilbert scurried away to find somewhere to hide.

It didn't take long before Ludwig was done counting (he couldn't count that far yet) and he went from room to room. Most of the people in the rather huge castle were sleeping and behind most doors he only found snoring and other weird noises. At last however he saw a pair of boots sticking out from behind a curtain. His brother really sucked at hiding he noted. He pulled the curtain away, revealing a grinning Gilbert.

"Looks like you found me!"

He chuckled and once again scooped the kid up into his arms.

"Time for bed now?"

Ludwig pouted a bit. They had barely begun playing!

"It's my turn to hide now"

He squirmed in the elder's grip wanting to be put down on the floor again.

"Okay, I'll count to twenty"

As soon as Ludwig was back on the floor he was off into the corridor.

"Don't peep" He told Gilbert as he rounded a corner, scurrying out of sight. Gilbert sighed and started counting.

Ludwig had one big advantage in this game. He was much smaller than his brother, which enabled him to hide in many more places were Gilbert would never even dream of to fit. Quickly he ran through the long corridors and soon arrived in the kitchen. The fire was reduced to glowing charcoal and a single girl was awake watching it, making sure that it didn't burn out. She looked surprised at his arrival but knew better than to ask.

"Don't tell anyone that I'm here" Ludwig told her as he dived into a cupboard.

Time passed.

The cupboard was rather cramped and it was dark. Why did it take so long to find him? Ludwig sighed; his brother had probably forgotten him again. Of course he had! Gilbert had better things to do than playing with him. He should have just gone to bed, well too late for that now. He might as well stay here and out of the way. Thoughts as dark as the cupboard invaded his mind and Ludwig slowly fell asleep.

Fifteen minutes after he finished counting Gilbert could still not find Ludwig. He had searched the entire floor and every possible hiding place he could think of. He didn't think that Ludwig would hide in a room were someone was sleeping which ruled out about half of them anyways. Soon he found himself walking down the stairs and down to the bottom floor. Soon only the servant's wing was left but he doubted that his little brother would be there.

In the kitchen he met what was probably the only one awake aside from himself and Ludwig. The girl who was on fire duty looked rather frightened by his appearance in the kitchen, no doubt she hadn't even spoken with one of the lords of the castle before. When he asked about his brother she promptly shook her head, too frightened to speak.

Gilbert sighed and left the kitchen to the girl's relief.

After another thirty minutes he was getting rather desperate. Where on earth could the kid be? He had by now searched all the floors thoroughly, even dared to walk in on sleeping people where he knew there were potential hiding spots. No sign of Ludwig.

He called out in the corridors, as loud as he dared, that the game was over, he was tired of looking now. No Ludwig appeared. Damn it! This game wasn't even funny anymore.

By the time he was back on the bottom floor again he was rather irritated. The girl looked up with wide eyes as he re-entered the kitchen. Once again he asked about his brother. This time she pointed at one of the kitchen cupboards. Gilbert raised on eyebrow and looked at the cabinet in question. It was no way that his brother would fit in there. Or would he?

He walked over and tore the door open. The sight of a small, curled up boy met him. It looked like it was game over. Ludwig didn't react however, at being found, and Gilbert realized that the boy was fast asleep. Irritation gone, he gently prodded the sleeping ball of cuteness and snickered when all that earned him was some quiet whimpers of protest.

It really was no point of waking him up anyways Gilbert reasoned and carefully pulled the sleeping blonde out of the cabinet. The servant who had quietly observed them let out a silent sigh of relief when they left the room. The whimpers that had been coming from that cupboard had really worried her.

They were halfway up the second stair when Ludwig stirred.

"Brother?"

Eyes heavy with sleep blinked up the man carrying him.

"Go back to sleep, West" Gilbert answered softly not stopping in his way.

"I thought you forgot about me"

The sentence was barely audible but it made Gilbert falter in his steps a little. Instinctly he pulled the small body closer.

"Why would I do that?"

"You're never home anymore. I thought that you finally forgot about me"

Silence met him and Ludwig was certain he said something really stupid. Embarrassed he buried his face in his brother neck, as an attempt to ask for forgiveness.

"Don't be stupid West, give me more credit than that" Gilbert finally answered as he pushed the door to his bedchamber open.

"Sorry"

Ludwig looked ashamed as Gilbert dumped him on the bed. Of course he knew that Gilbert wouldn't forget him. But the castle was just big and empty and full with adults who thought him too small to do anything.

"Don't be. It's my fault"

Gilbert started stripping both of them for sleep and Ludwig crawled under the covers as he pulled off the last of his dirty uniform. As he too, finally, got into bed Ludwig did his best to take as little space as possible. It wasn't exactly hard.

"I'm sorry West"

Gilbert pulled the younger brother close, despite protests.

"The war should be over soon and then we will play hide and seek"

Nestled against his older brother Ludwig was already half asleep, it was way past bedtime, and he nodded once. If Gilbert forgave him, Ludwig forgave Gilbert.

Gilbert sighed and tried to sleep. Tomorrow he was off to war.

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><p>Please feel free to leave a comment! :)<p> 


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